July something: berry popsicles and apple walnut cake

I have lost track of when things were made. I used to know by the date the picture was taken, but things like popsicles and cake can be made and eaten over a period of time. At some point in the last week or so, I have made berry popsicles and apple walnut cake. Both were good. As time is of the essence in my life these days, enough chatter, here are the recipes:


Berry popsicles (from Best Summer Weekends Cookbook)


1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 strips lemon zest (approximately 1/2" x 3")
2 cups fresh berries (I used strawberries, raspberries and blueberries)
1 cup apple juice


Combine sugar, water and lemon zest in a small saucepan and bring to a boil for 1 minute, or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool. Remove zest.


Rinse berries. Sort through them to remove any stems or leaves, and hull strawberries (if using). Place the berries in a small saucepan, crush gently and bring to a boil over medium heat. If you're making the syrup with blueberries or blackberries alone, add 1/4 cup water to the pot; no water is necessary if you're using strawberries, raspberries, or a mixture of red and blue berries. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes.


Push the cooked berries through a fine mesh sieve (to puree them, leaving the seed and skins behind), then add the cooled sugar syrup. Or puree the berries in a blender or food processor with the sugar syrup, then strain through a fine mesh sieve.


Combine 2 cups of the berry syrup with 1 cup of apple juice. Pour mixture into moulds and freeze overnight.


Makes 6 - 9 pops.


These are super sweet. I might cut back on the sugar next time.


[for Patricia:

Mold is the American spelling for all senses of the word meaning, among other things, (1) a frame for shaping something, (2) to shape in a mold, and (3) any of various fungi that commonly grow on organic matter and are often associated with decay. Mould is the British spelling. American English has no mould, and British English has no mold.

Australian and Canadian English favor the British spelling, though mold is fairly common in Canadian publications.


from Grammarist]

Sadie would rather suck on her hand.
Wise choice, oh young one.

Apple Walnut Cake (from Lost Recipes)

Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 apples, peeled and grated

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup raisins

Glaze

1/2 cup buttermilk

8 tbsps unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325F. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking dish.


Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in large bowl. In sparate bowl whisk sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together until sugar is mostly dissolved. Stir sugar mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Gently fold in apples, walnuts, and raisins.


Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth top, and gently tap pan on counter to settle batter. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in centre comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cake cook in pan for 10 minutes.


Meanwhile, bring buttermilk, butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt to simmer in medium saucepan, and cook, stirring often, until butter is melted and sugar is completely dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. While cake is still warm, poke holes all over top with wooden skewer. Slowly pour glaze over cake in even layer. Let cake sit until cooled completely and glaze has been absorbed, about 2 hours. Serve.

Serves 15-18.


Is it just me? This cake is also super sweet and I will be cutting back on the sugar next time.

June 18th: Garlic and Basil Chicken Sandwich/Berries with Ginger Cream

Chicken


I love this chicken sandwich, which, minus the mess factor, is perfect picnic food and in any case, perfect summer food. I make this at least once a year. It requires cooked chicken (a whole chicken for the full 4 servings, or, in our case, 2 breasts for 2 big servings). The sandwich is made on a baguette spread with a garlic-mayo mixture, topped with goat cheese, chicken, tomatoes, more goat cheese (!) and fresh basil. Simple but powerfully flavourful. I use the full amount of mayo on the half sandwich. From September 2005's Chatelaine: Bistro Chicken Sandwich.

Berries


This recipe has a slight pain-in-the-butt factor, but is so good I make it every year when local berries start popping up everywhere. We're just getting into strawberry season now, a little later than usual for Ottawa. This is essentially berries topped with cream, but in this case, the cream is drained yogurt (pain-in-the-butt factor: requires several hours sitting in the fridge) mixed with ginger juice (pain-in-the-butt factor: grating ginger root), sugar and cardamom. Cardamom may be my favourite scent in the world. I like to open my bottle of cardamom and inhale lightly when I am stressed out. TMI? Possibly.

I've modified this recipe from the original version, from June 2006's Chatelaine, which required phyllo pastry, one pain-in-the-butt factor too many. My version is healthier too. Here tis:


Berries with Ginger Cream

• 3 cups (750 mL) plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) finely grated fresh peeled ginger
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cardamom (optional)
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) granulated sugar
• 2 cups (500 mL) raspberries
• 1 cup (250 mL) each blackberries and blueberries
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) honey

To make ginger cream, line a sieve with a single layer of paper towel. Place over a medium-size bowl. Scrape in yogurt. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Discard liquid in bottom of bowl. Scrape thickened yogurt back into bowl. Place grated ginger in a sieve set over a small bowl. Using a spoon, firmly press on ginger to extract juice. Discard grated ginger. Juice should measure 2 to 3 tsp (10 to 15 mL). Stir into yogurt with cardamom and sugar. Mixture will keep, covered and refrigerated, up to 4 days.

To serve, place berries in a bowl. Drizzle with honey. Toss to coat. Divide into serving bowls and top with ginger cream.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Berry choices are to your own taste.
I just drizzle a bit of honey over each bowl of berries and then top with cream.
(I use more cream than pictured!)